Rockland High School - Cauldron Yearbook (Rockland, ME)

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iX93bi L-4 TO THE UNDERCLASSMEN To be an underclassman Is hardly any fun, But cheer up! you toddling youngsters, Your troubles have just begun. The road you follow will be hard, And the obstacles are great, But you are amply rewarded When it co es time to graduate. Oh! underclassmen of this school, May we offer consolation, And hope that you will have, some day, A part in graduation. C.J.M. '36 SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT The death house at Sing Sing echoed and re-echoed with the disconsolate clang of steel doors, breaking the shrieking silence of that say tier of cells, cells with their brooding, staring, nervous occupants. Doomed men who were doomed to die as certain as day follows night unless a very uncertain personage called a governor intervened which is nothing to depend upon. The clanging of the doors signalized the end of the evening meal. Joe's door shut on the retreating guard carrying away his dirty dishes. The last dishes he would ever see, the last meal he would even have, his last day on earth. Joe lay back on his bunk. He was full of one of the best meals he had ever had. But somehow it dldn't set sell on his stomach. His thoughts dwelt on the fact that it never would be fully digested. Tonight was his turn ---. He was to start his last mile at ten minutes of twelve. His ebony face glistened in the light from the single glaring bulb above him.Joe was a negro and blessed with one of God's greatest gifts--a physique. He flexed his muscles until it hurt. Then his gaze dropped to his hands. He opened and closed them, admiring them and marvelling in their dexterity and strength and tried to imagine them cold and lifeless.He shook himself but the morbid thoughts persisted and crowded one upon the other. A great lump formed in his throat and a tear gathered in his eye and rolled down his cheek. Then his mind went back to his earlier life,his childhood 'way down in Alabama--those eternal pickaninnies-- his old mammy and the old dilapidated shack that was home. His tears were now flowing freely and he fell forward on his knees. Then, with the rolling peals of a great organ, spiritual peace and comfort descended over him with the memories of a song, a song of his homeland and of his race. The words, those grand old words, rumbled up from his chest and burst forth in the rich sobbing tune that only a darky singing a spiritual can voice: 'Swing low sweet chariot coming for ........... . M.P. 'sv ' 'rms TYRANT IN orm KITCHEN The house-wife, who has mastered a kitchen stove, Lat least oursl has more right to fame than anyone I know. Day after day, week after week, year in and year out, our stove crouches in a corner of the kitchen, like a tyrant on his throne, ready to punish anyone who ignores him or speaks ungraciously of him. Yet coax as long as we will, he will sit there, calm and completely impervious, if anyone attempts to start a fire. He is as contrary a tyrant as I know. He refuses to keep the house warm when we leave him along. Yet he's too delighted to drive us out with the heat when we decide to let the fire go out. Like all tyrants he must have his favorite edible when he wants it. He prefers hard coal, but occasionally, with a little coaxing from his favorite, the Minister of the Coal Bin, he will accept soft coal. He has never been known to assent to wood without makin a lot of trouble. E He has his playful moments. One of his favorite pastimes is an hour's smoke in the norning, a habit pleasing to no one but himself. He also takes great pleasure in going out when the cook would like to make some pies or cakes. Then, again, he is a very sen- sitive despot, becoming so enraged when we merely touch him that he blisters our fingers with a glance. T2 leing exceedingly vain, he will perform his duty pleasantly after his slaves have aolished and scrubbed his hard, black skin. Nothing pleases him more than a good suit of Q, A

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X936 CBUQWOU I T he A6 ,:2.': 5 .2-,sl-3 Q . .t.g:Z-1.,- As, . .- rf '- !: '9 AMUSING INCIDENTS OF THE WASHINGTON TRIP It would be impossible for anyone to relate all the amusing things that happened while we were on the trip. However, here are a few of the best ones. Charles Merritt was the first one to furnish us with something to laugh at when he discovered, just as the train was about to leave, that he did not have his camera. Wiul a frantic look in his eyes, he dashed madly out of the train and down onto the steps shouting, 'Oh, Mother, quickl' Fortunately Mrs. Merritt realized at once what the trou- ble was and gave him his camera. Charlie grabbed it and climbed back onto the platfonn looking relieved, gust as the train pulled out. I think that r. Blaisdell must have been up late the night before because we hadn't gone far when he was discovered fast asleep in the last seat of the car. Someone sent fa' Charlie and his camera and now we have a very exclusive picture entitled nOus Principal: How He Looks When He's Asleep.' The next amusing thing which happened might serve as a warning to all girls. If you buy a skirt which has snaps on it, be sure that you replace them with hooks and eyes be- cause snaps are no respectors of persons or places and are apt to desert you at any time. If this happens, you will find yourself losing your skirt as Catherine Chisholm did whax she started down the aisle of the train. We met many difficulties at mealtime, both in the hotels and on the boat. Of course none of us were accustomed to the colored waiters who were ever present and who were det- ermined to 'push your chair in for you every time you tried to sit down'.0n the boat we got by with only a few minor difficulties such as two boys eating from one salad dish. At our table one of the girls wanted to get something from the pocket of her coat whidx was hanging over the back of her chair. Every time she reached for her pocket the waits thought she wanted to put her coat on and stepped up to help her. After three times they both gave it up. In Washington, Harvey Crowley, better known as Junior, was told that his consomms was tea and therefore proceeded to drink ith some say, with milk and sugar. Listed under deserts on the menu were assorted piesn. Ruth Harper,try1ng to appear very sophisticated was ordering dinner. She gave her order way through and ended up wida Wand I guess I'1l have some assorted pies.n This brought the house down. Even the waits was unable to keep from laughing. One morning we went to the Zoo in Washington. I think Hr.B1adsdell had more fun Mun anyone else. And he got something extra too. One of the elephants showed his appreciat- ion of the peanuts given him by giving a loud snort and spraying Mr.Bla1sdell from head to foot. In the hotel in New York, the elevator doors were just the same as the doors to the rooms. One morning some of us came around the corner to find Ruth Harper standing before the elevator and knocking on the door. When she saw us she sa1d,'I have beenn trying to get this elevator for five minutes and they don't pay any attent1on.' We suggested that she try ringing the bell instead of knocking which she did and get better results. When we left New York, we had long bus ride around the city. Buddy Jordan created quite a laugh when he rode down Fifth Avenue sound asleep with his mouth open and his head bouncing up and down on the window sill. Why his neck wasn't broken is still a mystery. The last amusing thing which we remember is seeing Mr. Blaisdell playing '65W on the way home on the boat and shouting 'whoopee whoopee' when he got a good hand. R.M. '36 5

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IX?J'36i stove polish. In fact, if he has a new suit of this royal material, he will sit all sump mer, oblivious to everything else. I sometimes think the only reason he does his duty Cwhen he does! in winter is that he is afraid the cold will ruin his suit. he frequently needs a shaking down and gets it, though it doesn't always have as good an effect on him as teachers sometimes assert it does on pupils. At times he is so cold and im obile we feel like kicking himg at other times he is so cold and im obile we feel like kicking himg at other times he is so warm-hearted, go full of friendliness, we can't understand our previous attitude. Sometimes he is so friendly that he becomes red in the face. Those are the times we feel like dampening his spirlts. If anyone else would like a try at running this remarkable stove, just let me know. He may change places with me any time he wishes. Who knows, Perhaps he may be able tn subdue the tyrant. E.M.H. 135 AT THE MOVIES nLove Thy Neighborn is a good song title. However, if the gentleman who gave that name to his catchy little tune had been in my place the last time went to the movies, I think he would have found a substitute for that first word. It was a picture sin which my favorite actor and actress were co-starred. I went early to get a good seat and settled myself for an afternoon of real enjoyment. When the picture started, a nice looking elderly was sitting on my left and the seat on my right was vacant. I also smiled at my good fortune in having an empty seat right in front of me. That smile was soon wiped off when a man who reminded me of the nTall Man' in the circus was shown in by the usher. I leaned to the right and tried not to miss anything, but it seemed to me that it took him hours to sit down and when he did it wasn't much help. About this time, the lady on my left, whom I had not expectedto be at all annoying , produced a bag of peanuts in the shell and began to crack and munch contentedly. I glared at her, but I guess she couldn't see me in the dark. Anyway it d1dn't seem to bother har at all. I tried not to listen with my left ear and hoped she would be done before the feature picture started Calthough I knew that if her appetite were indicated by the size of the bag, she wouldn't be.J I had just managed to get my attention firmly fixed on the screen again when I heard the usher coming down the aisle with what sounded like an elephant in his wake. Of course he stopped at my row and down flopped 'the elephantn in the seat on my right. He was one of those people who use all their seat and then bulge out over into the next one. This o course fixed it so that I couldn't lean that way to look out around the man in front o me so I had to peek over his shoulder. That wasn't exactly a comfortable position and tired my neck, but I preferred if to getting any closer to the lady with the peanuts. ,When the feature picture began, a girl behind me, who had seen the picture before, started to tell her companion about it in a loud whisper. Up back somewhere a small baby started a loud wail which was, immediately answered by another from down front and Un loud 'sssshn of both mothers. Uhen they finally quieted down,I realized that the picture was nearly over and I dhd hope that I should be allowed to enjoy the last of it. Fate was all against me. Someone in the row in front of me decided to leave then and avoid the rush. The,'Tall Man' stood up to let him pass and I missed even the last scene. And still they sing 'Love Thy Neighbor.' R-HOMQ '35 THE BASEBALL UMPIRE As nearly everyone know, umpires are made out of baseball players that have gone ' d blln The umpire is probably the most disliked man on the fieldg both team hate him and think he is favoring the other side. He is called everything and anything, including such names as 'cheat,' 'robber,n or 'sw1ndler.' Every year at Christmas time many practical 'okers send him lasses. J The umplre,g as I see him, is usually a chubby old man. He is well protected Wiul shin guards breast protector and mask. This is not to protect him, as most people sup- pose, from the baseball, but rather to protect him from the dissatisfied spectators, who throw everything at him from stones and 'popn bottles to grand pianos and automobiles. The umpire and the undertaker are usually the best of friends. Both are barred from society. The undertaker likes to keep on the good side of the umpire,as he knows it won't be long before he gets his business. I The umpire is always used for an alibi when the game is lost. 'If it hadn't been far a crooked official who was bribed to let the other team win we would.have won that game.' If I ever come upon a body, lying in a ditch riddled with bullet holes, nine chance! out of ten it will be an umpire, as he is PUBLIC ENEMY NOS. l to l,000,0CO. I.A.M. '56 a 7